Whitney Cerak Wheeler Opens up About Mistaken Identity: My Family Had a Funeral for Me

>>> Had thought I had ░░░░░░░░ away and they had ░░░░░░░░ funeral for me A ░░░░░░░░ of people actually wonder ░░░░░░░░ like what will people ░░░░░░░░ at your funeral about ░░░░░░░░ But the weird thing ░░░░░░░░ that I already know ░░░░░░░░ answer Tonight a young ░░░░░░░░ is speaking out on ░░░░░░░░ stunning story that gripped ░░░░░░░░ country some 10 years ░░░░░░░░ Responders at the scene ░░░░░░░░ a horrific accident mistakenly ░░░░░░░░ the identities of two ░░░░░░░░ women with similar physical ░░░░░░░░ one survived the other ░░░░░░░░ not In just a ░░░░░░░░ we will speak to ░░░░░░░░ survivor of that crash ░░░░░░░░ cerak wheeler who was ░░░░░░░░ dead But first trace ░░░░░░░░ in our West Coast ░░░░░░░░ will bring us up ░░░░░░░░ speed on her story ░░░░░░░░ Megan by all accounts ░░░░░░░░ scene of the crash ░░░░░░░░ interstate 69 in northern ░░░░░░░░ was chaos bodies backpacks ░░░░░░░░ wallets scattered across the ░░░░░░░░ and in the tall ░░░░░░░░ grass Five dead two ░░░░░░░░ injured 18 year old ░░░░░░░░ cerak was placed in ░░░░░░░░ helicopter with Laura van ░░░░░░░░ s identification At the ░░░░░░░░ with her face swollen ░░░░░░░░ distorted by tubes Whitney ░░░░░░░░ was misidentified by Laura ░░░░░░░░ ryn s parents as ░░░░░░░░ daughter But the family ░░░░░░░░ Whitney cerak was so ░░░░░░░░ they never identified the ░░░░░░░░ of van ryn and ░░░░░░░░ was no autopsy So ░░░░░░░░ the cerak family buried ░░░░░░░░ they thought was their ░░░░░░░░ the van ryn family ░░░░░░░░ bedside for weeks caring ░░░░░░░░ who they thought was ░░░░░░░░ daughter Braiding her hair ░░░░░░░░ her toenails talk her ░░░░░░░░ of a coma The ░░░░░░░░ was clearly complicated by ░░░░░░░░ fact both women have ░░░░░░░░ similarities Blond hair Same ░░░░░░░░ Similar features So much ░░░░░░░░ that Laura van ryn ░░░░░░░░ boyfriend of three years ░░░░░░░░ commented how familiar her ░░░░░░░░ feet and complexion were ░░░░░░░░ only that her eyes ░░░░░░░░ blue instead of quote ░░░░░░░░ awesome greenish tint Then ░░░░░░░░ van ryn s college ░░░░░░░░ noticed the girl in ░░░░░░░░ bed had freckles Laura ░░░░░░░░ The girl in the ░░░░░░░░ kept telling the staff ░░░░░░░░ name was Whitney not ░░░░░░░░ Finally when the van ░░░░░░░░ family began having their ░░░░░░░░ dental records were tested ░░░░░░░░ confusion cleared up The ░░░░░░░░ ryns issued a statement ░░░░░░░░ they mourned the loss ░░░░░░░░ their daughter but rejoiced ░░░░░░░░ the ceraks will have ░░░░░░░░ time with theirs Megyn ░░░░░░░░ thank you Whitney cerak ░░░░░░░░ joins me now Whitney ░░░░░░░░ you so much for ░░░░░░░░ here There was a ░░░░░░░░ when you were coming ░░░░░░░░ you were in a ░░░░░░░░ for five weeks and ░░░░░░░░ asked withdrew to write ░░░░░░░░ name right They asked ░░░░░░░░ to write your name ░░░░░░░░ And you wrote Whitney ░░░░░░░░ was there when you ░░░░░░░░ that I honestly I ░░░░░░░░ t know I couldn ░░░░░░░░ tell you that I ░░░░░░░░ I was slowly coming ░░░░░░░░ of a coma so ░░░░░░░░ memory wasn t totally ░░░░░░░░ me yet Is it ░░░░░░░░ is it your understanding ░░░░░░░░ s true that s ░░░░░░░░ moment the van ryns ░░░░░░░░ for the first time ░░░░░░░░ were not their daughter ░░░░░░░░ Do their devastation we ░░░░░░░░ all understand but tell ░░░░░░░░ about the moment as ░░░░░░░░ s been told to ░░░░░░░░ that your parents found ░░░░░░░░ you had not died ░░░░░░░░ think that everyone was ░░░░░░░░ because I don t ░░░░░░░░ a story like this ░░░░░░░░ happened before So no ░░░░░░░░ really thought it was ░░░░░░░░ but they went down ░░░░░░░░ to make sure that ░░░░░░░░ was I mean as ░░░░░░░░ seemed so they went ░░░░░░░░ and they checked and ░░░░░░░░ were reunited with me ░░░░░░░░ is it like for ░░░░░░░░ to see your own ░░░░░░░░ with the date of ░░░░░░░░ on it Yeah It ░░░░░░░░ the whole thing seems ░░░░░░░░ to me Just like ░░░░░░░░ it seems like a ░░░░░░░░ movie that wasn t ░░░░░░░░ my life And did ░░░░░░░░ you know what kind ░░░░░░░░ relationship have you had ░░░░░░░░ the van ryns since ░░░░░░░░ Yeah I absolutely love ░░░░░░░░ van ryn family They ░░░░░░░░ a beautiful picture of ░░░░░░░░ like Jesus would act ░░░░░░░░ if he were here ░░░░░░░░ because they loved me ░░░░░░░░ they thought that I ░░░░░░░░ their daughter and then ░░░░░░░░ continued to do so ░░░░░░░░ continue to love me ░░░░░░░░ family even when they ░░░░░░░░ that I wasn t ░░░░░░░░ And how they it ░░░░░░░░ just fun to always ░░░░░░░░ around and hang out ░░░░░░░░ them Whenever we do ░░░░░░░░ it feels very natural ░░░░░░░░ it s just fun ░░░░░░░░ s like two families ░░░░░░░░ together And so we ░░░░░░░░ have a great fine ░░░░░░░░ the van ryn family ░░░░░░░░ were friends with Laura ░░░░░░░░ ththers who were killed ░░░░░░░░ that car crash Do ░░░░░░░░ have survivor guilt I ░░░░░░░░ did and I feel ░░░░░░░░ that just being the ░░░░░░░░ college student to survive ░░░░░░░░ I know all of ░░░░░░░░ led such great lives ░░░░░░░░ did such great things ░░░░░░░░ Jesus and I was ░░░░░░░░ 18 when it all ░░░░░░░░ and I just I ░░░░░░░░ t know It hit ░░░░░░░░ and especially like seeing ░░░░░░░░ families I just felt ░░░░░░░░ a huge guilt Eyes ░░░░░░░░ always on me like ░░░░░░░░ I doing a good ░░░░░░░░ was like was it ░░░░░░░░ right choice that I ░░░░░░░░ left behind I feel ░░░░░░░░ I had that a ░░░░░░░░ But I just know ░░░░░░░░ like freedom comes from ░░░░░░░░ lord and I like ░░░░░░░░ given it all to ░░░░░░░░ and I feel like ░░░░░░░░ finally like I don ░░░░░░░░ deal with that survivor ░░░░░░░░ anymore Good Good Do ░░░░░░░░ feel a greater purpose ░░░░░░░░ in life Or that ░░░░░░░░ was a reason you ░░░░░░░░ spared I do think ░░░░░░░░ like having that passion ░░░░░░░░ living with passion and ░░░░░░░░ s one thing that ░░░░░░░░ ve seen since the ░░░░░░░░ Like I ve seen ░░░░░░░░ huge difference in who ░░░░░░░░ am who I was ░░░░░░░░ years ago And just ░░░░░░░░ out like living out ░░░░░░░░ That s one thing ░░░░░░░░ ve actually become really ░░░░░░░░ about is not just ░░░░░░░░ to church and sitting ░░░░░░░░ the walls but going ░░░░░░░░ and loving church and ░░░░░░░░ being who we re ░░░░░░░░ to be through the ░░░░░░░░ like this is what ░░░░░░░░ said so we go ░░░░░░░░ and we do it ░░░░░░░░ don t just learn ░░░░░░░░ it in church We ░░░░░░░░ out and talk about ░░░░░░░░ to others So it ░░░░░░░░ been it s been ░░░░░░░░ I ve been really ░░░░░░░░ about and I just ░░░░░░░░ like the lord is ░░░░░░░░ okay you re going ░░░░░░░░ do this iing to ░░░░░░░░ you a little further ░░░░░░░░ you re going to ░░░░░░░░ something more about me ░░░░░░░░ my relationship with Jesus ░░░░░░░░ gone so much deeper ░░░░░░░░ of this whole thing ░░░░░░░░ you re now married ░░░░░░░░ children of your own ░░░░░░░░ law has changed to ░░░░░░░░ the identification of victims ░░░░░░░░ more clear and controlled ░░░░░░░░ we are very glad ░░░░░░░░ you are with us ░░░░░░░░ Whitney all the best ░░░░░░░░ you and your family ░░░░░░░░ the van rnys Thanks ░░░░░░░░ As well.